Mentoring Our Future Generation

(Caption of photo above) "Diligence is a trait that I have picked up from the ship's Engineering Team through the conduct of engineering rounds at sea. While underway, the engines run non-stop and are essential in propelling the ship forward. Engineers are entrusted with immense responsibility of ensuring that the engines work well. During engineering rounds, we diligently check the parameters of our engines, investigate and rectify all irregularities. With intimate understanding of these systems, we maintain the operational availability and effectiveness of our engines on board." - ME4T Lee Wei Jian

(Midshipmen and crew of RSS Persistence have been isolated for the deployment and have all been tested negative for COVID-19)

"It is noble to teach oneself, but still nobler to teach others." To all our teachers, instructors and mentors in the RSN, we thank you for your dedication and commitment in grooming the future generation and we wish you all a Happy Teacher's Day!

The crew of RSS Persistence took on this noble responsibility of teaching and mentoring our future generation of Naval Officers during the recently concluded Midshipmen Sea Training Deployment (MSTD). This was a maiden voyage for our midshipmen from the 90th MIDS/26th MDEC 1, during which they earned their sea legs, tested their mettle to keep a warship safe and learnt what it means to maintain operational readiness at sea.  

Here is a look at some of our midshipmen in action and their reflections on the crew of RSS Persistence, who were their mentors at sea.

"As the Midshipman Navigating Officer (MNO), I need to take fixes and ascertain the ship's position at sea in order to keep her safe from navigational hazards. During MSTD, I felt that our instructors are like MNOs in our lives; beyond imparting navigation knowledge, they showed us how close we are to achieving our goals, and guided us patiently so that we make good our destination. I would not have grown so much, if not for the dedicated team of instructors who have guided us every step of the way." - MID Clarence Oh

"One of the biggest highlights of my MSTD is the small arms firing. It is not easy to sink a float target at sea but I must thank the ship's Gunnery Team in giving me useful tips on weapon handling, in order to achieve accurate firing. The Gunnery Team's professional expertise, meticulous planning and sharp execution have impressed me greatly. I will remember these key tenets of a successful gunnery shoot, and will always watch out for the safety of my crew and strive for gunnery excellence in the future." - MID Ryan Phua

"Safe navigation is a fundamental skill to master during MSTD. Under the watchful guidance of my instructors and the ship crew, I have gained confidence in my abilities to manoeuver the ship. It was truly an experience and great joy to apply my navigational knowledge by navigating the warship at sea. I am very thankful for the support and guidance from the ship crew when I kept watch on the bridge." - MID Samuel Wong

"As a junior sailor, I am concerned about safety on board. To this end, the ship crew took pride in demonstrating all correct methods to operate any equipment, before supervising us in our hands-on session. Whenever I have any doubts, the ship crew have been very prompt in addressing my concerns. From this MSTD, I aspire to be a beacon of knowledge just like the ship crew of RSS Persistence were to me, so that I can guide and look out for the safety of my teams in the near future." - MID Phoebe Teo

"The sum of the parts is greater than the whole. As a Naval Warfare Systems Engineer, I have come to appreciate the intricacies of the shipboard systems and the closely-knitted teamwork displayed by the Engineering Department. I am inspired by their professional expertise; they work tirelessly to maintain the readiness of our platform systems. With this newfound appreciation for our Naval Engineers, I look forward to unlocking better synergies between my team and systems." - ME4T Lo Yu Him

"Fostering interaction between the midshipmen and ship crew is best done through fitness training! In the Navy, we set aside time every day for 'dogwatch'. All hands come together to work out and improve our fitness standards. Not only do we work on our individual goals, but we also motivate each other to perform beyond our perceived limits and attain higher standards together. It has been especially gratifying for me to encourage all hands to attain higher repetitions of rope-pulls. To Lead, to Excel and to Overcome!" - MID Phang Duo Yan